Valentine’s Day Project Around The Corner—

WWE Brings Holiday Greetings From Reed Students To Middle East

By Eliza Hallabeck

For the second year, students from Reed Intermediate School were highlighted in World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) program Tribute To The Troops, which includes a holiday TV special of the same name featuring wrestling matches, more entertainment, and the delivery of students’ letters from Reed to troops in Iraq.

Last year was the first year students at Reed wrote letters to be sent with WWE stars to the Middle East. This year’s show aired Saturday, December 19, at 8 pm, and more than 300 students from Reed sent letters with WWE for its holiday special.

According to WWE, the Tribute To The Troops special features matches from Raw, SmackDown and ECW Superstars’ live performance in the Middle East.

Some of the letters written to the servicemen can be found at www.wwe.com/shows/raw/tributetothetroops.

“The tour went great,” said WWE Vice President of Corporate Communications and Newtown resident Gary Davis. He added the letters written by students at Reed were “very well received.”

Reed Intermediate School teacher Kirsten Strobel participated with her students in this year’s Tribute To The Troops program.

“We have been fortunate enough to be ‘matched’ with the Black Lions, a Marine troop stationed in Paliwooda, Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel Timmerman responded to our letters by writing an informational letter about the troop and their duties,” said Ms Strobel by email earlier this week. “He included photos of the buildings they have been busy keeping secure, as well as pictures of children in the town. Additionally, he responded to at least one question or comment in each of the students’ letters, which established and even greater connection for the students. He then posted the letters on the wall of the mess hall so that everyone on base could read them while standing in line waiting for ‘chow.’”

Ms Strobel said since her students’ letters were sent they have already heard back from service men and women who have enjoyed the letters.

 “When teaching social studies, or any subject area for that matter, it is one thing to study a region of the world through books and technology,” said Ms Strobel. “It is quite another to experience the region through those that live there. These generous men and women are making our study both current and real. We are forming relationships and making memories that go far beyond the miles that separate us.”

 Mr Davis said WWE expanded the Tribute To The Troops program this year, first by having more students participate, and by adding an interactive chatroom for WWE fans to send messages to the troops online.

“We’re looking to further expand teachers in classrooms to take time year round to write to the troops,” said Mr Davis. He added helping to further Newtown’s St Valentine’s Day Project, which sends valentines to troops overseas, is something worth doing by WWE.

St Valentine’s Day Kickoff Around The Corner

“I am incredibly excited,” said St Valentine’s Day Chair Donna Monteleone Randle. “In five years we went from 50 kids in one second grade class in one elementary school, and have blown it out across the district.”

Gearing up for the project’s kickoff, scheduled for January 4 in Reed Intermediate School’s cafetorium from 8:30 am until roughly 9:30 am, Ms Randle said everything has been coming together well.

Ms Randle said she was asked recently just how she finds enough members in the military for all of Newtown’s St Valentine’s Day Project participating students to write to. She said communication is a key component.

“Quit frankly,” said Ms Randle, “it is from the parents and other residents in town who know people. We just keep talking and asking.”

One Sandy Hook woman, according to Ms Randle, helped the project contact the woman’s brother-in-law with the USS Essex, which provided the project with 500 names for students to write to.

The project would not be possible without help from parents and other volunteers, like Laurie Borst, in charge of media and more, Michelle Tenenbaum, who heads a music CD project for the troops, and Hawleyville Post Master Mark Favale, who is the “key coordinator” for shipping the letters to the troops.

CDs containing the vocal and instrumental talents of Newtown youth performing at various concerts will be included in the boxes with the letters to many units in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps this year. Items requested by the troops such as media (DVDs, CDs), men’s pajama bottoms, tooth brushes (supplied by local dentists Dr Joshua Baum, Dr Bryson Filbert and Dr Mark Renzi and Dental Associates), are being collected at Charter Communications, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Hawley Elementary School, Reed Intermediate School, Sandy Hook Hair Company, Newtown Municipal Center, and the Second Company Governors Horse Guard for the project this year, according to an announcement for the kickoff.

Once the kickoff event is held, students in each school this year will learn the dos and don’ts of letter writing to a member in the armed forces.

Ms Randle said students are encouraged to write about things they enjoy, but told to leave out all personal information. The students are told to use their first name only, and have the option to leave their name off of the letter if they choose.

“The only identifier is the teacher and the school,” said Ms Randle. If children choose to leave off their names from the letters they write, they will not receive a response from the military member who receives their letter.

Students also have the ability to opt-out of sending a letter through the project, Ms Randle said.

“Every letter is totally proof-read,” said Ms Randle. She explained parent volunteers collect the written letters from the schools and read each letter for content.

“It is not really for spelling,” Ms Randle continued. “It is for content. It is to make sure a students does not include something like, ‘I live at 123 Main Street.’ It is absolutely important.”

Other dos and don’ts the students are informed of include not writing about politics and not asking the person they are corresponding to whether they have ever shot someone or seen a person shot.

“It is meant to bring them cheer,” said Ms Randle. “It is not supposed to upset anyone.”

Ms Borst, who oversees media relations for the project, said the letter writing portion of the project is completely voluntary. She added the project can be changed to incorporate a school’s needs. At some schools, according to Ms Borst, every student is writing and in others that is different.

“This is a very organized event,” said Ms Borst. “Safety is very most on the mind of everyone of us.”

While the project supports the troops, Ms Borst said, it has no political agenda.

“This is entirely in support of the troops, our sons and daughters, our sisters and brothers who are doing their duty to their country,” said Ms Borst.

Ms Randle said she is hoping all people who can attend the kickoff ceremony at Reed Intermediate on January 4 will attend. She also said she is still hopeful the project will spread to other school districts.

“The more the better,” Ms Randle said. “My philosophy is there are 365 days in a year, and it would be great if everyone took a holiday or more and wrote to members in the military. They deserve that and so much more.”

If parents wish to volunteer with the St Valentine’s Day Project effort, or have questions regarding the project, they can contact Ms Randle at ndrandle@charter.net or valentinesfortroopsnewtown@gmail.com.